Coronavirus Today

Throughout the first two years of the pandemic, we at North Carolina Health News published frequent updates on the coronavirus, health care during the pandemic and how it all affected North Carolina residents.

" + "

" + detail + "

" + ""; pc_confirmation.style.display = 'block'; var mp = document.querySelector('input[name="mp"]'); mp.value = '0'; } else { form.querySelector('._form-content').style.display = 'inline'; pc_confirmation.style.display = 'none'; } var hideButton = document.getElementById('hideButton'); // Add event listener to the button hideButton.addEventListener('click', function() { var submitButton = document.querySelector('#_form_3_submit'); submitButton.disabled = false; submitButton.classList.remove('processing'); var mp = document.querySelector('input[name="mp"]'); mp.value = '1'; const cacheBuster = new URL(window.location.href); cacheBuster.searchParams.set('v', new Date().getTime()); window.location.href = cacheBuster.toString(); }); const vgoAlias = typeof visitorGlobalObjectAlias === 'undefined' ? 'vgo' : visitorGlobalObjectAlias; var visitorObject = window[vgoAlias]; if (email && typeof visitorObject !== 'undefined') { visitorObject('setEmail', email); visitorObject('update'); } else if (typeof(trackcmp_url) != 'undefined' && trackcmp_url) { // Site tracking URL to use after inline form submission. _load_script(trackcmp_url); } if (typeof window._form_callback !== 'undefined') window._form_callback(id); }; window._load_script = function(url, callback, isSubmit) { var head = document.querySelector('head'), script = document.createElement('script'), r = false; var submitButton = document.querySelector('#_form_3_submit'); script.charset = 'utf-8'; script.src = url; if (callback) { script.onload = script.onreadystatechange = function() { if (!r && (!this.readyState || this.readyState == 'complete')) { r = true; callback(); } }; } script.onerror = function() { if (isSubmit) { if (script.src.length > 10000) { _show_error("3", "Sorry, your submission failed. Please shorten your responses and try again."); } else { _show_error("3", "Sorry, your submission failed. Please try again."); } submitButton.disabled = false; submitButton.classList.remove('processing'); } } head.appendChild(script); }; (function() { var iti; if (window.location.search.search("excludeform") !== -1) return false; var getCookie = function(name) { var match = document.cookie.match(new RegExp('(^|; )' + name + '=([^;]+)')); return match ? match[2] : localStorage.getItem(name); } var setCookie = function(name, value) { var now = new Date(); var time = now.getTime(); var expireTime = time + 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365; now.setTime(expireTime); document.cookie = name + '=' + value + '; expires=' + now + ';path=/; Secure; SameSite=Lax;'; localStorage.setItem(name, value); } var addEvent = function(element, event, func) { if (element.addEventListener) { element.addEventListener(event, func); } else { var oldFunc = element['on' + event]; element['on' + event] = function() { oldFunc.apply(this, arguments); func.apply(this, arguments); }; } } var _removed = false; var form_to_submit = document.getElementById('_form_3_'); var allInputs = form_to_submit.querySelectorAll('input, select, textarea'), tooltips = [], submitted = false; var getUrlParam = function(name) { if (name.toLowerCase() !== 'email') { var params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); return params.get(name) || false; } // email is a special case because a plus is valid in the email address var qString = window.location.search; if (!qString) { return false; } var parameters = qString.substr(1).split('&'); for (var i = 0; i < parameters.length; i++) { var parameter = parameters[i].split('='); if (parameter[0].toLowerCase() === 'email') { return parameter[1] === undefined ? true : decodeURIComponent(parameter[1]); } } return false; }; var acctDateFormat = "%m/%d/%Y"; var getNormalizedDate = function(date, acctFormat) { var decodedDate = decodeURIComponent(date); if (acctFormat && acctFormat.match(/(%d|%e).*%m/gi) !== null) { return decodedDate.replace(/(\d{2}).*(\d{2}).*(\d{4})/g, '$3-$2-$1'); } else if (Date.parse(decodedDate)) { var dateObj = new Date(decodedDate); var year = dateObj.getFullYear(); var month = dateObj.getMonth() + 1; var day = dateObj.getDate(); return `${year}-${month < 10 ? `0${month}` : month}-${day < 10 ? `0${day}` : day}`; } return false; }; var getNormalizedTime = function(time) { var hour, minutes; var decodedTime = decodeURIComponent(time); var timeParts = Array.from(decodedTime.matchAll(/(\d{1,2}):(\d{1,2})\W*([AaPp][Mm])?/gm))[0]; if (timeParts[3]) { // 12 hour format var isPM = timeParts[3].toLowerCase() === 'pm'; if (isPM) { hour = parseInt(timeParts[1]) === 12 ? '12' : `${parseInt(timeParts[1]) + 12}`; } else { hour = parseInt(timeParts[1]) === 12 ? '0' : timeParts[1]; } } else { // 24 hour format hour = timeParts[1]; } var normalizedHour = parseInt(hour) < 10 ? `0${parseInt(hour)}` : hour; var minutes = timeParts[2]; return `${normalizedHour}:${minutes}`; }; for (var i = 0; i < allInputs.length; i++) { var regexStr = "field\\[(\\d+)\\]"; var results = new RegExp(regexStr).exec(allInputs[i].name); if (results != undefined) { allInputs[i].dataset.name = allInputs[i].name.match(/\[time\]$/) ? `${window.cfields[results[1]]}_time` : window.cfields[results[1]]; } else { allInputs[i].dataset.name = allInputs[i].name; } var fieldVal = getUrlParam(allInputs[i].dataset.name); if (fieldVal) { if (allInputs[i].dataset.autofill === "false") { continue; } if (allInputs[i].type == "radio" || allInputs[i].type == "checkbox") { if (allInputs[i].value == fieldVal) { allInputs[i].checked = true; } } else if (allInputs[i].type == "date") { allInputs[i].value = getNormalizedDate(fieldVal, acctDateFormat); } else if (allInputs[i].type == "time") { allInputs[i].value = getNormalizedTime(fieldVal); } else { allInputs[i].value = fieldVal; } } } var remove_tooltips = function() { for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { tooltips[i].tip.parentNode.removeChild(tooltips[i].tip); } tooltips = []; }; var remove_tooltip = function(elem) { for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { if (tooltips[i].elem === elem) { tooltips[i].tip.parentNode.removeChild(tooltips[i].tip); tooltips.splice(i, 1); return; } } }; var create_tooltip = function(elem, text) { var tooltip = document.createElement('div'), arrow = document.createElement('div'), inner = document.createElement('div'), new_tooltip = {}; tooltip.id = `${elem.id}-error`; tooltip.setAttribute('role', 'alert') if (elem.type != 'radio' && (elem.type != 'checkbox' || elem.name === 'sms_consent')) { tooltip.className = '_error'; arrow.className = '_error-arrow'; inner.className = '_error-inner'; inner.innerHTML = text; tooltip.appendChild(arrow); tooltip.appendChild(inner); elem.parentNode.appendChild(tooltip); } else { tooltip.className = '_error-inner _no_arrow'; tooltip.innerHTML = text; elem.parentNode.insertBefore(tooltip, elem); new_tooltip.no_arrow = true; } new_tooltip.tip = tooltip; new_tooltip.elem = elem; tooltips.push(new_tooltip); return new_tooltip; }; var resize_tooltip = function(tooltip) { var rect = tooltip.elem.getBoundingClientRect(); var doc = document.documentElement, scrollPosition = rect.top - ((window.pageYOffset || doc.scrollTop) - (doc.clientTop || 0)); if (scrollPosition < 40) { tooltip.tip.className = tooltip.tip.className.replace(/ ?(_above|_below) ?/g, '') + ' _below'; } else { tooltip.tip.className = tooltip.tip.className.replace(/ ?(_above|_below) ?/g, '') + ' _above'; } }; var resize_tooltips = function() { if (_removed) return; for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { if (!tooltips[i].no_arrow) resize_tooltip(tooltips[i]); } }; var validate_field = function(elem, remove) { var tooltip = null, value = elem.value, no_error = true; remove ? remove_tooltip(elem) : false; elem.removeAttribute('aria-invalid'); elem.removeAttribute('aria-describedby'); if (elem.type != 'checkbox') elem.className = elem.className.replace(/ ?_has_error ?/g, ''); if (elem.getAttribute('required') !== null) { if (elem.type == 'radio' || (elem.type == 'checkbox' && /any/.test(elem.className))) { var elems = form_to_submit.elements[elem.name]; if (!(elems instanceof NodeList || elems instanceof HTMLCollection) || elems.length <= 1) { no_error = elem.checked; } else { no_error = false; for (var i = 0; i < elems.length; i++) { if (elems[i].checked) no_error = true; } } if (!no_error) { tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Please select an option."); } } else if (elem.type =='checkbox') { var elems = form_to_submit.elements[elem.name], found = false, err = []; no_error = true; for (var i = 0; i < elems.length; i++) { if (elems[i].getAttribute('required') === null) continue; if (!found && elems[i] !== elem) return true; found = true; elems[i].className = elems[i].className.replace(/ ?_has_error ?/g, ''); if (!elems[i].checked) { no_error = false; elems[i].className = elems[i].className + ' _has_error'; err.push("Checking %s is required".replace("%s", elems[i].value)); } } if (!no_error) { tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, err.join('
')); } } else if (elem.tagName == 'SELECT') { var selected = true; if (elem.multiple) { selected = false; for (var i = 0; i < elem.options.length; i++) { if (elem.options[i].selected) { selected = true; break; } } } else { for (var i = 0; i < elem.options.length; i++) { if (elem.options[i].selected && (!elem.options[i].value || (elem.options[i].value.match(/\n/g))) ) { selected = false; } } } if (!selected) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Please select an option."); } } else if (value === undefined || value === null || value === '') { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "This field is required."); } } if (no_error && elem.name == 'email') { if (!value.match(/^[\+_a-z0-9-'&=]+(\.[\+_a-z0-9-']+)*@[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,})$/i)) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Enter a valid email address."); } } if (no_error && (elem.id == 'phone')) { if (elem.value.trim() && typeof iti != 'undefined' && !iti.isValidNumber()) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Enter a valid phone number."); } } if (no_error && /date_field/.test(elem.className)) { if (!value.match(/^\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d$/)) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Enter a valid date."); } } if (no_error && elem.name === 'sms_consent') { const phoneInput = document.getElementById('phone'); const consentRequired = phoneInput.attributes.required || phoneInput.value.length > 0; const showError = (consentRequired || !!elem.attributes.required) && !elem.checked; if (showError) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Please check this box to continue"); } else { elem.className = elem.className.replace(/ ?_has_error ?/g, ''); } } tooltip ? resize_tooltip(tooltip) : false; if (!no_error && elem.hasAttribute('id')) { elem.setAttribute('aria-invalid', 'true'); elem.setAttribute('aria-describedby', `${elem.id}-error`); } return no_error; }; var needs_validate = function(el) { if(el.getAttribute('required') !== null){ return true; } if((el.name === 'email' || el.id === 'phone' || el.id === 'sms_consent') && el.value !== ""){ return true; } return false; }; var validate_form = function(e) { var err = form_to_submit.querySelector('._form_error'), no_error = true; if (!submitted) { submitted = true; for (var i = 0, len = allInputs.length; i < len; i++) { var input = allInputs[i]; if (needs_validate(input)) { if (input.type == 'text' || input.type == 'number' || input.type == 'time' || input.type == 'tel') { addEvent(input, 'blur', function() { this.value = this.value.trim(); validate_field(this, true); }); addEvent(input, 'input', function() { validate_field(this, true); }); } else if (input.type == 'radio' || input.type == 'checkbox') { (function(el) { function getElementsArray(name){ const value = form_to_submit.elements[name]; if (Array.isArray(value)){ return value; } return [value]; } var radios = getElementsArray(el.name); for (var i = 0; i < radios.length; i++) { addEvent(radios[i], 'change', function() { validate_field(el, true); }); } })(input); } else if (input.tagName == 'SELECT') { addEvent(input, 'change', function() { validate_field(this, true); }); } else if (input.type == 'textarea'){ addEvent(input, 'input', function() { validate_field(this, true); }); } } } } remove_tooltips(); for (var i = 0, len = allInputs.length; i < len; i++) { var elem = allInputs[i]; if (needs_validate(elem)) { if (elem.tagName.toLowerCase() !== "select") { elem.value = elem.value.trim(); } validate_field(elem) ? true : no_error = false; } } if (!no_error && e) { e.preventDefault(); } if (!no_error) { const firstFocusableError = form_to_submit.querySelector('._has_error:not([disabled])'); if (firstFocusableError && typeof firstFocusableError.focus === 'function') { firstFocusableError.focus(); } } resize_tooltips(); return no_error; }; addEvent(window, 'resize', resize_tooltips); addEvent(window, 'scroll', resize_tooltips); window['recaptcha_callback'] = function() { // Get all recaptchas in the DOM (there may be more than one form on the page). var recaptchas = document.getElementsByClassName("g-recaptcha"); for (var i in recaptchas) { // Set the recaptcha element ID, so the recaptcha can be applied to each element. var recaptcha_id = "recaptcha_" + i; recaptchas[i].id = recaptcha_id; var el = document.getElementById(recaptcha_id); if (el != null) { var sitekey = el.getAttribute("data-sitekey"); var stoken = el.getAttribute("data-stoken"); grecaptcha.render(recaptcha_id, {"sitekey":sitekey,"stoken":stoken}); } } }; _load_script("https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=recaptcha_callback&render=explicit"); var _form_serialize = function(form){if(!form||form.nodeName!=="FORM"){return }var i,j,q=[];for(i=0;i { if (key !== 'hideButton') { formData.append(key, value); } }); let request = { headers: { "Accept": "application/json" }, body: formData, method: "POST" }; let pageUrlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); if (pageUrlParams.has('t')) { request.headers.Authorization = 'Bearer ' + pageUrlParams.get('t'); } const response = await fetch('https://northcarolinahealthnews.activehosted.com/proc.php?jsonp=true', request); return response.json(); } if (formSupportsPost) { submitForm().then((data) => { eval(data.js); }).catch(() => { _show_error("3", "Sorry, your submission failed. Please try again."); }); } else { _load_script('https://northcarolinahealthnews.activehosted.com/proc.php?' + serialized + '&jsonp=true', null, true); } } return false; }; addEvent(form_to_submit, 'submit', form_submit); })();

Our team produced more than 150 stories, keeping readers updated on briefings by the governor, the secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services and others with key details.

Below, you’ll find an archive of our Coronavirus Today articles, as well as the article about the 2022 NC Press Association awards, at which we won second place in General News Reporting for a series of posts from Coronavirus Today.

NC Health News takes home 17 NC Press Association awards

North Carolina Health News won 17 awards Thursday night during the North Carolina Press Association’s annual awards ceremony, including third place for general excellence among online-only new sites. Four of the awards were first-place prizes. The total means NC Health News was the most-honored online publication in the state. The Press Association honored work published…

by Staff August 26, 2022August 26, 2022

OSHA and USDA should have done more to protect meatpacking workers, report says

By Sky Chadde / Investigate Midwest This story was originally published by The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has food safety inspectors in every large meatpacking plant in the country. Just like the industry’s workers, the government’s inspectors entered the high-risk work spaces almost every day during the Covid-19 pandemic.…

by Daily Yonder April 23, 2022December 10, 2022

Coronavirus Today – March 17 ‘The worst is behind us,’ NC and COVID

By Anne Blythe Gov. Roy Cooper and his top public health official told North Carolinians on Thursday that while they cannot say the COVID-19 pandemic is over, they believe the worst has passed. Cooper and Kody Kinsley, secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, recalled the state of the state in March…

by Anne Blythe March 17, 2022October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Feb. 17 Making masks for school children optional

By Anne Blythe On Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper encouraged school districts and local governments to drop indoor mask requirements by March 7 to give people the option of baring their faces as the state moves toward a new pandemic phase. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers who have often challenged the Democratic governor’s approach to the pandemic, especially…

by Anne Blythe February 17, 2022October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Jan 4 Omicron records; COVID testing woes; Requiring boosters for some state employees

By Anne Blythe As public health officials predicted in late December, North Carolina is seeing the Omicron variant of COVID-19 bring record-high cases counts and putting strains on systems across the state. Finding COVID-19 tests has become difficult again. Rapid tests are in short supply. Many testing sites have long lines and time-consuming waits. On…

by Anne Blythe January 4, 2022October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Dec 20: Dire plea for North Carolinians to ‘get boosted now’ as Omicron surge looms

By Anne Blythe The message was dire from Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services. “Get boosted,” they repeatedly told North Carolinians on Monday during a briefing with reporters broadcast on PBS North Carolina. In anticipation of a tremendous surge in COVID-19 cases in early January…

by Anne Blythe December 20, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Dec 14: One year with COVID-19 vaccine

By Anne Blythe On the anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine arriving in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper and his top public health official, Mandy Cohen, took a look back on the coronavirus pandemic with a nod to the future that will place a new secretary of health and human services in the lead role.…

by Anne Blythe December 14, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Nov 30: What is and isn’t known about Omicron variant

By Anne Blythe Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, brought out her charts and graphs on Tuesday to update North Carolinians on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic. That latest COVID news, even as the Omicron variant adds new mystery about how long the pandemic will last, was dwarfed…

by Anne Blythe November 30, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Nov 10 – Mandy Cohen and her daughters share their COVID vaccine experience

By Anne Blythe Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, has talked about her daughters many times as she helped steer the state through the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the state gets to see them in a public service announcement about the kid-sized Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that has just become available…

by Anne Blythe November 10, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Oct 27 Waiting for greenlight to get COVID vaccines into arms of children, ages 5 to 11; What about a booster?

By Anne Blythe Pediatricians, pharmacies and county health departments could be ready by the end of next week to start vaccinating children from 5 to 11 years old if Pfizer’s kid-size dose of COVID vaccine gets the federal nods it needs. A Federal Drug Administration advisory committee set the stage on Tuesday for the latest…

by Anne Blythe October 27, 2021October 26, 2022

Coronavirus Today – Sept 21 Asking faith leaders for help with COVID vaccines; ‘Threats, bullying’ at school board meetings

By Anne Blythe Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, are making an appeal to faith leaders across the state to help build faith in COVID vaccines. North Carolina continues to see more than 6,000 new COVID cases per day, according to Cohen, and more than…

by Anne Blythe September 21, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – September 9 – More than 15,000 COVID deaths; Cases up in children

By Anne Blythe The COVID-19 Delta variant continues to have a tight hold on North Carolina. Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, pleaded on Thursday with North Carolinians not yet vaccinated against the coronavirus to get a vaccine to help loosen that grip. “If you’re…

by Anne Blythe September 9, 2021October 25, 2022

More money to science and health studies, thanks to COVID-19

By Chiung-Wei Huang At sunrise, when the North Carolina sky slowly wakes up to light blue, Kevin Saunders gets into his white coat and is ready to dive into his research. As a director of research at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Saunders studies the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with hopes of discovering a vaccine…

by Chiung-Wei Huang August 23, 2021December 10, 2022

Coronavirus Today – August 18 Vaccine boosters coming in the fall; Masking debate in K-12

By Anne Blythe As North Carolina public health officials continue to urge those not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 to get a shot, plans are in the works to start administering Moderna and Pfizer booster shots this fall. The highly contagious Delta variant latching onto and clinging tightly to the unvaccinated across North Carolina has pushed…

by Anne Blythe August 18, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – August 4 Winston-Salem 18-year-old wins $1 million vaccine lottery; Mask debate in K-12 schools

By Anne Blythe Gov. Roy Cooper kept coming back to one word Wednesday during a COVID-19 update with reporters: Vaccines. The fast-moving, extremely contagious Delta variant has caused a crushing new wave of COVID-19 cases in some regions of the state, pushing many of North Carolina’s metrics closer to what they were at the height…

by Anne Blythe August 4, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – July 29 Governor to require state workers in his cabinet to show proof of vaccination or wear masks and get tested

By Anne Blythe When Gov. Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, stepped up to the podium in the state Emergency Operations Center on Thursday, something was noticeably different. Both wore face masks to the COVID-19 briefing for the first time in several months. For nearly two…

by Anne Blythe July 29, 2021October 26, 2022

Coronavirus Today – July 21 – New COVID recommendations for schools: Mask up in K-8, more leeway for vaccinated high school students.

By Anne Blythe Gov. Roy Cooper and his health and human services secretary issued new coronavirus guidelines for schools on Wednesday in which they strongly recommend face masks for children in kindergarten through eighth grade as districts reopen their classrooms next month for in-person learning. The StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit has been updated as North…

by Anne Blythe July 21, 2021October 26, 2022

Coronavirus Today – June 10 — Your chance to win!! NC has a vaccine lottery with million dollar prizes and college money.

By Anne Blythe North Carolinians who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and are 18 and older could be one of four people this summer to win $1 million. Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Thursday that he was taking a page from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s pandemic playbook, and from other states, too, for a different…

by Anne Blythe June 10, 2021October 26, 2022

Coronavirus Today – June 2 — Cash for COVID-19 vaccines; Staving off evictions; GOP panel nixes governor’s environmental pick

By Anne Blythe North Carolina’s daily number of coronavirus cases have dipped to the lowest they’ve been since last year, with only 268 cases reported on June 1, in contrast to more than 1,800 just a month ago. Even as cases are dropping, the rate of vaccination has been lagging. In an effort to get…

by Anne Blythe June 2, 2021October 25, 2022

Coronavirus Today – May 19 Here’s how Gov. Cooper wants to spend $5.7 billion in federal COVID funds; A dose of fun with your vaccine

By Anne Blythe Gov. Roy Cooper issued his plan Wednesday for how he would like the state to spend the next $5.7 billion coming to North Carolina from the federal government for coronavirus relief and recovery, describing the injection of American Rescue Plan Act funds as having the potential to bring revolutionary change to the…

by Anne Blythe May 19, 2021October 27, 2022

Stay in the know. Subscribe today.